


Distance kills the best of intentions

by prepare_to_die_obviously



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Carlos in the Desert Otherworld, Light Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, carlos is more scared by night vale than he lets on, i guess, i'm rubbish at tags lmao, ish, kevin getting better, post strex kevin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-23
Updated: 2015-05-23
Packaged: 2018-03-31 20:39:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3992026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prepare_to_die_obviously/pseuds/prepare_to_die_obviously
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carlos has lied about so many things since being separated from Cecil, but only for his own good, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Moving on

“… Carlos? Carlos, you're fading! Dana where did Carlos go?” Cecil’s panicked voice reached the scientists ears, but he could no longer see its owner.

“Dana? I can't see Cecil anymore…” Swirling sepia tones now completely misted Carlos’ vision, and with a tugging sensation in his stomach, he found himself again in the desert other world he'd been trapped in for months. The first time he and cecil got the chance to speak since Strex took over and he didn't even get the chance to say goodbye. Sighing, Carlos hurriedly pulled a small device from his lab coat, and began fiddling with the many dials, tuning the makeshift radio device to Night Vale Community Radio frequencies.

Dana had shimmered back into existence with Carlos now, and was tapping her foot in frustration. the radio still wasn't working, and the scientist had taken to sitting in the sand, hitting it with a small hammer attempting to tune in, or… quell his frustration? She wasn't sure. 

“Carlos, we really must be getting on, there are many things to-” Dana was cut off by a short yelp from the scientist.

“Nope oooh, I think I've just about got….. YES!” The white noise was finally replaced by a voice, but not the smooth tenor of his boyfriend.

“…..but…look, he’s – and no offense, Cecil, but – he’s an outsider. He’s not from here. How do we know he’s not part of the super underground secret military……..” The radio lapsed back into static.

Carlos’ face fell, he turned away from Dana, looking back to the broken radio. Did people really still think of him as an outsider? He’d been in night vale for two years now… _‘Ugh, I should not be thinking about this right now’_ Carlos thought, shaking the unsettling thoughts from his head. 

“Sorry Dana, you're right. Let’s get on with… yeah, saving the town.”

* * *

A few hours later Carlos stood, mentally and physically exhausted, ushering the last few masked warriors though the old oak door. He was so happy! He'd figured it out! Everyone needed to be in their rightful place on either side of the doors for them close for good, the light would stop shining blindingly bright through everything, and the smiling god would no longer be in control of Night Vale.

 Dana, John Peters, you know, the farmer? And that angry woman in the intern shirt were back in Night Vale, and as soon as he was done here he could finally go home, back to Cecil...

Back to Night Vale.

That’s what he wanted right?

Night Vale, with its horrifying government system, shadows, and dark looming secrets. With its librarians and antiques and, heavens forbid, street cleaners. He was risking his life there every day. Did he really want to go back to all that uncertainty? Carlos stared at the doorway. He once thought of Night Vale as the most scientifically interesting town in the world, that's what brought him there in the first place! But honestly, ever since his near death experience last year at the desert flower bowling alley and arcade fun complex, Carlos had felt… afraid. The excitement had gone, he was obsessed with _safety precautions??_   Carlos knew science, and that was _not_ science. He had gone from gazing in awe at the lights in the sky above the Arby's, to staring in fear at the moving shadows beneath them. And that _town_ had taken that away from him. 

At what point does scientifically interesting become terrifying?

No no no no, this was stupid. Night Vale may be strange, but it wasn't _evil._ His boyfriend live there for goodness sake. Cecil, his sweet honey voiced honey. _  
_

Just as those comforting thoughts set in, the voice from the radio came back to him like a jab in his gut. He was an outsider. Nobody but Cecil trusted him, let alone wanted him in Night Vale. Carlos was still that interloper.

He was not from Night Vale, nor was he from this desert otherworld. Would it even effect the doors if he was on either side?

As the last masked warrior past him, his heart now beating fast, the scientist mumbled to himself, “I am not from Night Vale. It is not where I belong.” Slowly, hesitantly, Carlos shut the old oak door, and watched as it shimmered out of his reality.  
“I- I just need a few days… or weeks, away from it all, to clear my head. Cecil will understand.”

Carlos looked around him and spotted the trail of masked warriors hiking towards their camp. “Yeah, just a few weeks…”  
With one last look at the now empty patch of sand that once held his ticket back to Night Vale, the scientist began to move on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! this is my first fanfic ever, so excuse any little problems, and any feedback would be wonderful. If it wasn't clear, this chapter starts in the middle of the Old Oak Doors part 1 and will pretty much continue upto The Faceless Old Woman episode. The man Carlos overhears talking about him was Steve Carlsberg, that old spoilsport.  
> Anyway, yeah! Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy the rest ^_^


	2. The post war terrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos settles into life in the desert otherworld, and doug is a good listener

Carlos has been… trapped… in this desert otherworld a month now, and if he’s honest, it’s starting to feel  a little like home. Or maybe, a home away from home. After all, it’s not like he’s planning on staying there _forever_ , right?

The giant masked warriors had welcomed Carlos into their camp with open arms. After deciding to stay in the desert, he made the long hike across the sand dunes to catch up with the trail of giants. He was filthy and exhausted, and by the time he staggered into the middle of their tents, half dead with dehydration. The medics nursed him over the next few days, feeding him herb infused water from a thimble, until he was healthy again. 

All things considered, the masked army were actually quite nice! They communicated with each other using a stylised mixture of sign language, and interpretive dance, however Doug (who Carlos guessed was the leader of the army), spoke English surprisingly well, and also knew some weird Spanish (he studied other worldly languages as a hobby, as well as knitting and crochet) so they managed just fine. 

The size difference was more of an issue.

Since arriving, Carlos had been almost stepped on three times, and sat on at least twice. He'd taken to riding Alisha’s giant dog around to avoid being in harm’s way, however after suffering from a bad case of motion sickness, scrapped that mode of transport. However, Doug had asked the camps best craftswoman to work on making him a saddle, which he was super excited for! Everyone was fascinated by, what they called, The Tiny Scientist, and would do whatever they could to make him feel comfortable. He now lived in Doug and Alisha’s tent, on a round table set at the edge of the room. They had made him a tent his size from an old battle stained cloak, and filled it with dollhouse furniture from one of the giant children’s sets. It was actually pretty cosy, and he was only a little terrified of the makeshift slide he used to get down.

 

* * *

 

The sun was setting on the desert campsite, and as the shadows grew longer Carlos sat in his tiny tent, on a bed made for a gigantic doll, equip with a weird, sand filled pillow and no blanket. He was going to need to make this place more cozy.  

He had spent the afternoon making a list of materials he needed to set up a lab (to give to Doug later), whilst listening to his updated radio device. After tweaking the settings, and setting in on fire a little, he could now get full broadcasts from Night Vale, and honestly, they were killing him. He sighed as Cecil’s voice once again reminded everyone in town that Carlos had saved them…

_“….And here I remind you that he became trapped there while saving our city from treacherous dark forces. I remind you he is a hero. my boyfriend is a hero...”_

Guilt was eating him up inside. He was not a hero. Heroes are brave adventurous, Carlos just figured out how to close the doors for good… He couldn't even tell Cecil he was trapped by choice. He lied to him! Carlos never lied! He thought back to the first voicemail he left Cecil after closing the door;  _“But then, as the last of the masked army members came through the door, it slammed shut and vanished.”_

“Uuuuuuuuuugh…” He fell back onto the bed and let out a low groan. “Some hero.”

A deafening rumble from outside his tent made Carlos sit back up with a yelp. A gigantic finger gently pulled aside the tent opening. “

Ooh Doug, it’s you.” Carlos was still getting used to how loud giants can be. _‘Was he clearing his throat??’_ He thought to himself.

“Tiny Scientist, do you have ready the list?” Doug asked, poking his head through the tent opening. They were going to travel into the desert together in a few days to scavinge for the new materials he needed. 

“Yeah, right here.” Carlos handed him the small slip of paper.

As Doug turned to leave, he caught the last few words drifting from Carlos’ radio.

“ _I’ve just been informed that Mrs. Sylvia Wickersham has made another large donation to the Night Vale Community College Capital Campaign, this one consisting of 1,000 live and extremely fluffy rabbits. The Capital Committee is beginning to have difficulty finding space on campus to house her donations.”_

“Your radio host?” He asked, smiling.

Carlos blushed and nodded. He must talk about Cecil more than he realised.

“You will be home to him soon, if that is what you want.”

Carlos shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He sometimes got the feeling the giants knew he wasn't as trapped here as he made out. They seemed to quietly understand his fears of Night Vale without him saying anything.

Doug frowned. The Tiny Scientist had a face that he had seen on many battle weary warriors. If the masked army knew anything, it was how to treat people suffering from, what they called ‘the post-war terrors’. Having fought against the office people of Strexcorp in Night Vale, Doug could understand how this small being could be damaged by such a place.

“Have you been honest with him about your...situation?” Doug asked delicately.

Carlos jumped. “You think I…”

Doug rumbled apologetically. "I saw you close the door."

Carlos felt his stomach twist uncomfortably. “No, I haven’t been... one hundred per cent honest I suppose.” He looked at Doug’s understanding face peeping through the tent doorway, and felt less defensive. “I really do just need a little time away... I'm not even sure he'd understand if I did tell him, you know? Cees grew up in Night Vale, he’s used to all the crazy stuff that goes on all the time.” Carlos noticed his hands had began to shake, and quickly looked 

“You are afraid of telling him?” Doug watched as Carlos pull a pillow into his lap and wrap his arms tightly around it, bringing it to his chest. 

“I don’t want to hurt him more than me being away already has… he thinks I’m a hero Doug…I can’t…”

“I understand.”

“And it’s not like I’m never coming back! I just need a few months away from it all, and I’ll be like it never happened” Carlos . The desert otherworld had already restored some of the scientific interest and enthusiasm he’d been missing the last year, maybe if he just spent some time recovering here, he could go back to Night Vale in the same mindset he had all those years ago. 

Doug nodded, and withdrew his head from the tent. "oh! Some of the children helped me make this for you." through the opening he passed in a perfectly crocheted, purple Carlos sized blanket. “I will begin packing for our trip Tiny Scientist.”

Carlos layed back onto the bed and closed his eyes, snuggling into the blanket and letting Cecil’s voice wash over him once more. ' _Just until I feel back to normal...'_

 

_“Knowledge may be terrible, but we can only prefer it to ignorance._

_Light may be terrible, but we can only prefer it to the dark._

_Stay tuned next for a reality that cannot possibly match expectations. And as always,_

_goodnight, Night Vale. Goodnight…”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is set during the events of the episode, Capital Campaign. Next episode, My sunshine child Kev appears, so look forward to that ^_^  
> And hey,  
> Thanks

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! this is my first fanfic ever, so excuse any little problems, and any feedback would be wonderful. If it wasn't clear, this chapter starts in the middle of the Old Oak Doors part 1 and will pretty much continue upto The Faceless Old Woman episode. The man Carlos overhears talking about him was Steve Carlsberg, that old spoilsport.   
> Anyway, yeah! Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy the rest ^_^


End file.
